A Language for the Word of God. Reflections on the "Word of God" in the context of the of Islamic-Christian dialogue

Abstract

The “logocentrism”, the focus on the Word of God, is both contact point and decisive difference between Christianity and Islam. At the same time a theology of the Word of God has so far had little significance for interreligious dialogue. The present article wants to show that a more intensive reflection on the connection between revelation and language and an analysis of concrete linguistic and literary forms helps to relate Christian and Islamic theology of revelation. For that first the contrasting juxtaposition of incarnation and “inlibration” is problematized, then a widespread Islamic understanding of revelation is criticized, and finally a new chance of encounter through the new hermeneutical approaches to the Qurʾān is outlined.